Storage-battery plate or electrode.



, No. 826,173. PATENTED JULY 1'7, 1906.

' A. E. KNIGHT.

f STORAGE BATTERY PLATE OR ELEGTRODE.

APPLICATION PILE-D Novz e. 1905.

Wgggzanrca. Ilz ya fai UNITED. sTATEs PATENT oEEIoE.

ALFRED E. KNIGHT, OF SOMERVILLE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO JAMES H. CHURCHILL, TRUSTEE, OF QUINCY, MASSACHUSETTS.'

STORAGE-BATTERY PLATE IOR ELECTRODE.

spcification .of Letters Patent.

Patented July 17, 1,906.

Application led November 8, 1905. Serial No. 286,327.

To, all whom, it may concern:

drawings, is a specification, like letters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to a storage-battery electrode or plate, and has for its object to increase the durability, conductivity, and ef- For this purpose the electrode or plate is com osed of two members orgrids each of whic consists of a thin sheet of lead or like conducting material having puncture's or openings distributed over it and having bars or ribs attached to one face, which form compartments or chambers into which the active material, such as o Xid of lead, is firmly acked.v The grids or members are secure together with the perforated sheets on the outsi e, and the active material in the chambers of one member is separated fromthe active material in the chambers of .the other member by a thin lm, sheet, or' wall` of conductin -which is firmly ci material, such as 'lead-foil,

bers or grids to make good electrical contact therewith, whereby the conductivity of the electrode or plate is increased. The interposed sheet, film, or wall of lead or other conductin material may -be provided with substantia ly fine openings or perforations to permit ofthe ercolation of the electrolyte through said m or wall and the active material, but which perforations are so fine as to prevent free or unrestrained circulation of the electrolyte through the electrode, thereby reducing to a minimum-loss of active mal terial by the slushing action of the electrolyte and by the violent agitation of the gases when the battery is being charged. The perforated interposed wall also forms a support for the active material. features of this invention will be pointed out in the claims at the end of this specification.

Figure l -is a front elevation of an electrode or plate embodying this invention; Fig. 2, a`

section on the line 2 2, Fig. 1; Figi 3, a detail ofone member ofthe electrode; and Fig. 4 a detail, on an enlarged Scale, to be referred to.

The storagebattery plate or electrode embodying this invention consists, essentially,

amped between the mem` through lche plate,

These and other which form chambers or compartments g,

into which the active material h, such as oXid of lead., is iirmlyfpacked or pressed. The bars or ribs f of one member, as b, may be provided with holes or openings i, which are.

extended to the /outside of said member andl are adapt-ed to receive locking projections or lugs 7c on the bars or ribs of the other member a, the said projections or lues preferablyl extending beyond the outside ofD the member a, where they areupset, to rmly lock the said memberstogether. v

To prevent, or at least reduce to a minimum, the washing out of theactive material h by the free circulation of the electrolyte transversely through the' plate, while at the same time affording opportunityfor said electrolyte to percolate through the active material and also to increase the conductivity of the electrode or plate, a substantially thin wall, sheet, or foil m, of lead or like acid-resisting and conductive material or materials, is interposed'between the members a b and is irmly secured thereto by the locking proj ections.

The interposed wall, sheet, or film m preferably provided with fine or substantiallyr small perforations a, which permit the electrolyte to percolate through the mass of active material coniined between the members .of the plate, but which do not afford opportunity for a free and unobstructed circulation or slushing action of the electrolyte and as a result waste of active material is avoided or reduced to a minimum, thereby increasing the life of the plate and also increasing the conductive capacity of the same. .In )ractice the fine o enings n in the'interpose conducting wall, s eet, or foil m may be staggered with relation to the openings d in he outside sheets of loc the members of the plate to still further break up or prevent ee flow or circulation of the electrolyte transversely through the plate or electrode. Furthermore, th/ interposed foil, wall, or sheet m serves as an additional support for the active material, for in making up the plate lor electrode each -member has its chamb'ers g lfirst filled with,

jected to pressure, thus riveting the several pieces toffether and forming a complete electrode. rIhe active material under the pressure above described is forced into the .perfo rations in the wall or sheet 7h.

While it may be preferred to provide the interposed foil, wall, or thi -r sheet with perforations, it is not desired to limitl the invention in this respect, as an imperforate foil, wall, or sheet may be used to advantage.

Each of the members 0I @may be cast in one piece, or the ribs may be cast in one piece and the outside wall or sheet c then burned onto said ribs.

It is preferred to make the interposed wal or sheet m of conductive material, such as lead, as by so doingV the conductivity of the electrode is increased, while at the same time the slushing action of the electrolyte is reduced to a minimum; but it is not desired to limit the invention to a conductive wall or sheet m, as it maybe made of non-conductive material, such as Celluloid; in which case the benefit of saidwall or sheet in reducin or reventing slushing'action of the electroilyte 3o 1s obtained.

I claimlmembers and makin side metallic wall or plate and metallic ribs or bars on the inner surface of said wall or plate, 3 5

arranged with the bars in close proximity to each other, and a substantially thin metallicwall or sheet interposed between the said or bars of both mem ers, and means to secure thel said members and`.sheet together, substantially as described.

2. A battery plate or electrode com risin two members, each comprising a perfprate outside -metallic plate or wall and longitudinal and transverse metallic bars or ribson the inner surface of said wall forming pockets for the active material, locking projections on the ribs of one member extended into openings in the ribs of the other member, and a substantially thin sheet or foil of conductive material interposed between said members and electrically connected therewith and through which the said lockin projections extend, substantially as descri ed. In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

' ALFRED E KNIGHT.

Witnesses: JAs. H. CHURCHILL, J. MURPHY.

contact with the ribs v 

